diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index d2b2fa32e..a6ddf7105 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -2293,7 +2293,7 @@ version = "0.0.6"
 dependencies = [
  "clap",
  "fnv",
- "itertools 0.8.2",
+ "itertools 0.10.0",
  "rand 0.7.3",
  "rayon",
  "semver",
diff --git a/src/uu/sort/Cargo.toml b/src/uu/sort/Cargo.toml
index 96e88ebc9..6a9976278 100644
--- a/src/uu/sort/Cargo.toml
+++ b/src/uu/sort/Cargo.toml
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ rayon = "1.5"
 rand = "0.7"
 clap = "2.33"
 fnv = "1.0.7"
-itertools = "0.8.0"
+itertools = "0.10.0"
 semver = "0.9.0"
 smallvec = "1.6.1"
 uucore = { version=">=0.0.8", package="uucore", path="../../uucore", features=["fs"] }
diff --git a/src/uu/sort/src/sort.rs b/src/uu/sort/src/sort.rs
index 4f669f578..35ab71ba2 100644
--- a/src/uu/sort/src/sort.rs
+++ b/src/uu/sort/src/sort.rs
@@ -162,6 +162,7 @@ impl From<&GlobalSettings> for KeySettings {
 }
 
 /// Represents the string selected by a FieldSelector.
+#[derive(Debug)]
 enum Selection {
     /// If we had to transform this selection, we have to store a new string.
     String(String),
@@ -181,6 +182,7 @@ impl Selection {
 
 type Field = Range<usize>;
 
+#[derive(Debug)]
 struct Line {
     line: String,
     // The common case is not to specify fields. Let's make this fast.
@@ -868,22 +870,12 @@ fn exec(files: Vec<String>, settings: &GlobalSettings) -> i32 {
         } else {
             print_sorted(file_merger, &settings)
         }
-    } else if settings.mode == SortMode::Default && settings.unique {
-        print_sorted(lines.into_iter().map(|line| line.line).dedup(), &settings)
-    } else if settings.mode == SortMode::Month && settings.unique {
-        print_sorted(
-            lines
-                .into_iter()
-                .map(|line| line.line)
-                .dedup_by(|a, b| get_months_dedup(a) == get_months_dedup(b)),
-            &settings,
-        )
     } else if settings.unique {
         print_sorted(
             lines
                 .into_iter()
-                .map(|line| line.line)
-                .dedup_by(|a, b| get_num_dedup(a, settings) == get_num_dedup(b, settings)),
+                .dedup_by(|a, b| compare_by(a, b, settings) == Ordering::Equal)
+                .map(|line| line.line),
             &settings,
         )
     } else {
@@ -1062,63 +1054,6 @@ fn get_leading_gen(a: &str) -> &str {
     result
 }
 
-fn get_months_dedup(a: &str) -> String {
-    let pattern = if a.trim().len().ge(&3) {
-        // Split at 3rd char and get first element of tuple ".0"
-        a.split_at(3).0
-    } else {
-        ""
-    };
-
-    let month = match pattern.to_uppercase().as_ref() {
-        "JAN" => Month::January,
-        "FEB" => Month::February,
-        "MAR" => Month::March,
-        "APR" => Month::April,
-        "MAY" => Month::May,
-        "JUN" => Month::June,
-        "JUL" => Month::July,
-        "AUG" => Month::August,
-        "SEP" => Month::September,
-        "OCT" => Month::October,
-        "NOV" => Month::November,
-        "DEC" => Month::December,
-        _ => Month::Unknown,
-    };
-
-    if month == Month::Unknown {
-        "".to_owned()
-    } else {
-        pattern.to_uppercase()
-    }
-}
-
-// *For all dedups/uniques expect default we must compare leading numbers*
-// Also note numeric compare and unique output is specifically *not* the same as a "sort | uniq"
-// See: https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/html_node/sort-invocation.html
-fn get_num_dedup<'a>(a: &'a str, settings: &GlobalSettings) -> &'a str {
-    // Trim and remove any leading zeros
-    let s = a.trim().trim_start_matches('0');
-
-    // Get first char
-    let c = s.chars().next().unwrap_or('\0');
-
-    // Empty lines and non-number lines are treated as the same for dedup
-    // Prepare lines for comparison of only the numerical leading numbers
-    if s.is_empty() || (!c.eq(&NEGATIVE) && !c.is_numeric()) {
-        ""
-    } else {
-        let result = match settings.mode {
-            SortMode::Numeric => get_leading_num(s),
-            SortMode::GeneralNumeric => get_leading_gen(s),
-            SortMode::HumanNumeric => get_leading_num(s),
-            SortMode::Version => get_leading_num(s),
-            _ => s,
-        };
-        result
-    }
-}
-
 #[inline(always)]
 fn remove_thousands_sep<'a, S: Into<Cow<'a, str>>>(input: S) -> Cow<'a, str> {
     let input = input.into();
diff --git a/tests/by-util/test_sort.rs b/tests/by-util/test_sort.rs
index 668e783ae..866beefff 100644
--- a/tests/by-util/test_sort.rs
+++ b/tests/by-util/test_sort.rs
@@ -223,6 +223,16 @@ fn test_mixed_floats_ints_chars_numeric_unique() {
     test_helper("mixed_floats_ints_chars_numeric_unique", "-nu");
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn test_words_unique() {
+    test_helper("words_unique", "-u");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn test_numeric_unique() {
+    test_helper("numeric_unique", "-nu");
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn test_mixed_floats_ints_chars_numeric_reverse() {
     test_helper("mixed_floats_ints_chars_numeric_unique_reverse", "-nur");
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/sort/numeric_unique.expected b/tests/fixtures/sort/numeric_unique.expected
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8a31187f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fixtures/sort/numeric_unique.expected
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+-10 bb
+aa
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/sort/numeric_unique.txt b/tests/fixtures/sort/numeric_unique.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..15cc08022
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fixtures/sort/numeric_unique.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+aa
+-10 bb
+-10 aa
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/sort/words_unique.expected b/tests/fixtures/sort/words_unique.expected
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2444ce1c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fixtures/sort/words_unique.expected
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+aaa
+bbb
+zzz
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/sort/words_unique.txt b/tests/fixtures/sort/words_unique.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9c6666029
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fixtures/sort/words_unique.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+zzz
+aaa
+bbb
+bbb